Technology firm wins international contract

Sir Reg congratulates Leaf Technologies chief executive

A County Antrim technology firm has secured the first ever Northern Ireland contract with the European Laboratory for Particle Physics.

Leaf Technologies in Mallusk has won the £2.5m contract with the laboratory which is part of the Swiss-based CERN, a world leading scientific research project.

The deal was announced by the Enterprise Minister, Sir Reg Empey, on Monday.

The company will supply the project with electronic modules and chief executive Fred Sloan said it was a tremendous boost for everyone involved at the plant.

Leaf's success is proof that CERN business is not the preserve of large multinational enterprises

Sir Reg Empey
Enterprise minister

CERN (Conseil European pour la Recherche Nucleaire) scientists undertake leading-edge studies in a variety of areas and were responsible for developing the worldwide web for internet communications.

The contract involves the development of sophisticated circuit boards for the high precision controls of the Large Hadron Collider which will be used for a research project that, in the past, has discovered alpha and beta rays now used, for example, in medical imaging.

"This is a tremendous achievement for Leaf Technologies and indeed for the wider electronics industry in Northern Ireland," said Sir Reg.

"Leaf's success is proof that CERN business is not the preserve of large multi-national enterprises.

Mr Sloan added: "The CERN contract, secured through open competition with 22 companies from many parts of Europe, is the most significant in a series of new orders that we have won in recent months and will result in significant employment opportunities here at Mallusk."

Leaf Technologies, founded in 1954, currently employs 200 people in its electronics manufacturing operation at Mallusk.